Gary George was jailed for life after killilng his friend in a scene which mirrored one of his favourite horror films. Photograph: Cheshire Police/PA

A horror film fanatic who killed his friend in a scene that mirrored one of his favourite spine-chillers has been jailed for life.

Gary George, 41, will serve a minimum of 30 years after he tortured and mutilated Andrew Nall, 53, in a "cruel and sadistic" attack.

George was obsessed with witchcraft and horror films, Chester crown court was told.

He particularly liked to watch The Loved Ones, a 2009 Australian film in which an attack takes place with a "chilling similarity" to the death of Nall, the court heard.

George beat his victim and inflicted 49 separate knife wounds, including a wound carved into his stomach that had salt poured on to it.

There was also a "creamy substance", thought to be cleaning fluid, found in Nall's eyes, the prosecution said.

His body was discovered lying in a pool of blood in his bedroom at his flat in Chester on 30 August last year.

After the killing George, a homeless alcoholic, went into an off-licence where he told the shop assistant: "I've just killed my best mate."

He initially denied the murder but changed his plea to guilty last week as his three-week trial was coming to a close.

Passing sentence, Judge Elgan Edwards said: "This was a cruel and vicious attack. It was also a sadistic attack.

"I am satisfied that in behaving in the way you did, you were aping the conduct in a film of which you were obsessed, namely The Loved Ones."

The judge said that he and the jury had "the misfortune" of watching the movie's murder sequence during the trial and added: "I regret to say that, as in this film, you committed many acts while the unfortunate Mr Nall was still alive.

"And that included the substance in his eyes, be that cleaning fluid, and the carving of marks upon his chest."

George, wearing a navy blue jumper, stood bolt upright in the dock with his arms behind his back and showed no emotion as his sentence was passed.

The recorder described Nall, also an alcoholic, as "vulnerable".

He added: "He was vulnerable because of the amount of drink he had taken.

"You knew he had, you took advantage of it and, putting it in a nutshell, he was no match for you.

"You killed him in a most cruel and sadistic way and you enjoyed doing so."

Nall, a former supermarket worker, was described to the jury by Ian Unsworth QC, prosecuting, as a "pleasant, polite and friendly man".

But the victim was also a heavy drinker who was in regular contact with the probation and support services, Unsworth said.

He told the trial Nall was subjected to a "brutal, ruthless and sadistic attack" in his own home.

"He was beaten, kicked and stabbed on dozens and dozens of occasions," Unsworth said. "A strange long wound was carved into his abdomen, salt was found on his wounded body. He was tortured."

George, the barrister told the trial, had a keen interest in witchcraft.

Unsworth added: "He watched horror films. One film in particular that he liked to watch was called The Loved Ones, a violent horror film.

"In a chilling precursor to what befell Andrew Nall, one scene depicts a man being stabbed on multiple occasions, his chest having a letter carved into it before salt was thrown on to the wound."

George was caught when he was arrested for assaulting another man 10 hours after the murder of Nall.

During his police interviews he disclosed that he had murdered someone, levelling false accusations that his victim was a paedophile and a rapist.

George's co-defendant, Christine Holleran, 50, was cleared of murder and manslaughter by the jury on Friday.

Holleran, who told the jury she witnessed the attack but played no part in it, shouted "justice, justice" as their majority verdict was returned.

Giving evidence, she said George was growling as he stabbed Nall, and said: "He was like the devil."